Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa. III. The effect of cryoprotectants on motility.

A series of experiments was conducted to examine potential toxic effects of cryoprotectants on motility of human spermatozoa. The data indicated that exposure of spermatozoa to cryoprotectant medium for as little as 15 minutes at room temperature caused a reduction in motility. This reduction in motility was caused by glycerol. Lowering glycerol concentrations from 7.5% to 5.0% improved sperm motility at 24 hours post-thaw. Sperm motility was not affected by either slow or abrupt cooling rates above -5 degrees C. Motility was greater in cryopreserved sperm at 24 hours post-thaw when glycerol was added at -5 degrees C rather than at room temperature. These data suggest that avoiding glycerol toxicity either by reducing the concentration used or by adding glycerol at a lower temperature, or both, may improve human sperm cryosurvival rates.